A Venetian Cheese & Cicchetti Journey

These cheeses and more can be purchased from https://ocello.com.au/

🧀 Perenzin Capra Bio Vino Traminer

From Treviso, Veneto

Made by the Perenzin family, fifth-generation cheesemakers in Treviso, this goat’s milk cheese is matured in Traminer grape marc — the leftover skins and seeds from winemaking. This imparts delicate floral and fruity notes and gives the rind a soft amber hue.

The result is a semi-hard, tangy, aromatic cheese that captures both the freshness of the mountains and the generosity of Venetian tradition.

We’re serving it with Smoked Trout Pâté Crostini with Lemon.

🐟 Tinned Trout Pâté Cucumber with Lemon & Dill

Ingredients

• 250 g smoked trout fillet - we used the Trout from Fangst

• 100 g crème fraîche or sour cream

• 80 g cream cheese or soft goat’s cheese

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tsp lemon zest

• Freshly ground pepper

• Sliced cucumber

Method

1. Flake the smoked trout.

2. In a bowl, mix trout, crème fraîche, cream cheese, lemon juice & zest.

3. Combine gently until creamy but still textured.

4. Season with pepper and spread onto cucumber.

🧀 Monte Veronese di Malga DOP (Slow Food Presidio)

From the high pastures of Verona

This mountain cheese is made from the milk of cows grazing freely on alpine herbs and flowers. Recognised by the Slow Food Presidio, Monte Veronese di Malga embodies the spirit of the Veneto mountains — buttery, floral, and slightly nutty.

We’re pairing it with Grilled Zucchini Ribbon & Olive Tapenade Crostini, a rustic Venetian bite that echoes the hillsides and kitchen gardens of northern Italy.

🥒 Grilled Zucchini Ribbon & Olive Tapenade Crostini

Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchinis

• Olive oil, for brushing

• Salt & pepper

• 100 g pitted olives

• 1 tbsp capers

• 1 garlic clove

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp lemon juice

• A few anchovy fillets for depth

• 1 baguette, sliced and toasted

Method

1. Slice zucchinis lengthwise into thin ribbons.

2. Brush lightly with olive oil, season, and grill for 1–2 minutes per side until soft and marked.

3. Blend olives, capers, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil into a rough paste (add anchovy if using).

4. Spread tapenade on crostini, top with a folded zucchini ribbon, and drizzle lightly with olive oil.

🧀 Asiago DOP Stravecchio di Malga (Slow Food Presidio)

From the Asiago Plateau, Vicenza

Aged over a year, this Stravecchio is firm, nutty, and savoury, with a crystalline texture and a long, complex finish. Made with raw milk high in the Asiago plateau, it’s a cheese that embodies the patience and precision of traditional alpine cheesemaking.

It’s paired with Polpette al Sugo, tender meatballs in a slow-cooked tomato sauce — a warm, comforting bite inspired by Venetian bacari (wine bars).

🍅 Polpette al Sugo (Venetian Meatballs in Tomato Sauce)

IngredientsFor the meatballs:

• 500 g beef mince

• 250 g pork mince

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

• ½ cup milk

• ½ cup grated Parmesan

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 tbsp chopped parsley

• Salt & pepper

• Olive oil, for frying

For the sauce:

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 garlic clove, smashed

• 700 ml passata or crushed tomatoes

• 1 tsp sugar

• Salt & pepper to taste

Method

1. Soak breadcrumbs in milk for 5 minutes.

2. Combine all meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix until just combined.

3. Roll into small balls (~2 cm).

4. Brown in olive oil on all sides.

5. In another pan, heat olive oil and garlic, add passata, sugar, and seasoning, and simmer 10 minutes.

6. Add meatballs, cover, and cook 15 minutes more until tender.